And with Sevilla winger Luis Alberto and Schalke defender Kyriakos Papadopoulos also being tipped for switches to Merseyside, Rodgers is creating a side that looks capable of improving on the club's seventh-place finish in the Premier League last term.

The former Swansea manager feels adding to the depth of his squad is vital if Liverpool are to continue moving forward.

"You can flip it about, but we just need to build up the depth of the squad. I want people who might be disappointed because they're not on the bench," he told the club's official website. "At the minute we probably don't have that so it's competition we want to get.

"I don't want a massive group. We want a tight group with a real core of 17 or 18 who feel they should always be playing and then supported be a few of our top young talents. We haven't had that - we have had one or two on the sidelines but we need more."

And Rodgers says that with the right additions this summer, there is no reason why Liverpool cannot get their hands on some silverware next season.

"We had a paper-thin squad last year, we had kids all the way through," he said. "We'll certainly give the Carling Cup [Capital One Cup] and the FA Cup a proper go next season.

"We need to improve the group and the depth, but that's what gives me great hope for the summer. If we can add that we can make a real start and then we're ready to challenge."